Production of liquid hydrocarbons from olefines



-with excellent results.

Patented Jan. 10, 1933 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRITZ WINKLER AND HANS HAEUBER, OF L'UDXVIGSHAFEN-ON-THE-RHINE,

GERMANY,

ASSIGNQR-S TO I. G. FAEBENINDUSTRIE AKTIENGESEILSGHAFT, OF FRANKFURT- ON-TEE-MAIN, GER-MANY, A CORPORATIGN OF GERMANY PRODUCTION F LIQUID HYD'ROCARBONS FROM OLEFINES No Drawing. Application filed May 4, 1928, Serial No.275,255, and in Germany May 2?, 1927.

This invention relates to an improved process for the manufacture and production of liquid hydrocarbons, including those of the aromatic series, from olefines.

It has already been suggested to produce liquid hydrocarbons by acting on gases comprising oleiines at an elevated temperature and at any convenient pressure, with precious metals or copper, preferably in a form or:- hibiting coherent surfaces.

W e have now found that use may also be made, in the saidprocess, of alloys of gold, silver or copper, such as brass, bronze, manganesecopper, and the like, as also of tinned or zinc-coated, aluminized or chromium coated iron, copper or other metals resistant to heat, The above coating metals all form amphoteric hydroxides which are not precipitated from alkaline solutions by hydrogen sulphide. Under metals resistant to heat are to be understood those which by the action of heat lose neither their shape nor their resistance to mechanical attack. In this case also, it is sufiicient under certain conditions, if the reaction chamber, for example, a reaction tube, alone be constructed of thespecified materials. The employment, for example, of internally tinned copper tubes may' be preferable over ordinary copper tubes, because, under certain conditions, these latter become brittle after prolonged use at high temperatures, which drawback is not observed when using tinned tubes.

The operation according to the present invention is usually carried out at temperatures ranging from 300 to 800 C. but preferably at about 7 50 C. and the pressure may be atmospheric, but pressures of 5, 20, 200 or even 1000 atmospheres may be employed.

The following examples will further illustrate the nature of this invention, but the invention is not restricted thereto.

Ewample 1 passage of the said gas, 100 grams of the original gas furnish about 37 grams of a EwampZe 2 Ethylene is passed, at the rate of liters per hour, through a tinned copper tube heated to 750 C. A yield or" about 8 grams of a yellow condensate, free from tar, is obtained per 100 grams of the initial gas when passing it only once through the tube. The exhaust gas contains only 3 per cent of methane, 0.6 per cent of hydrogen, the remainder cons sting of ethylene. Here again, no deposition of carbon in the heated tube is observed.

If gases, containing to 40 per cent of ethylene, propylene, butylene, or the like, such as are obtained for example in treating coal, tars and mineral oils at temperatures of about 800 C. with superheated steam in the absence of metals, which further the production of carbon dioxid from carbon monoxid and steam. be employed for the production of liquid hydrocarbons, the operation may be conducted at 800 C. with reduced velocity of the gas current in the heated tube, without any carbon being deposited or any appreciable amount of tar being formed.

What we claim is 1. In the production of liquid hydrocarbons at an elevated temperature from gases compr sing olefines, the step of acting on the said olefines with a catalyst consisting of a metal resistant to heat superficially coated with a metal selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, aluminium, and chromium at temperatures of between about 300 and 800 centigrade.

2. A process for the production of liquid hydrocarbons, which comprises pass ng ethylene through a zinc-coated iron tube heated to about 800 C. I

8. In the production of liquid hydrocarbons at an elevated temperature from gases comprising olefines, the step of acting on the said olefines at temperatures of between 300 and 800 centigrade with a catalyst consisting of a metal in a form exhibiting coherent surfaces superficially coated b heat treatment with a metal selected from t e group consisting of tin, zinc, aluminium and chromium.

4.'In the reduction of liquid hydrocarbons at an e evated temperature from gases comprising olefines, the step of acting on the said olefines at temperatures of between 300 and 800 centigrade in an apparatus, the inner surfaces of which consist of a metal in a form exhibiting coherent surfaces superficially coated by heat treatment with a metal selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, aluminium and c romium, the said materials of the apparatus also acting as a catalyst. 5. A process for the production of liquid hydrocarbons, which comprises passing a gas comprising an olefine at a temperature of between 300 and 800 centigrade through a tube consisting of a metal in a form exhibiting coherent which is superficially coated byv heat treatment with a metal selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, aluminium and chromium.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

FRITZ WINKLER. HANS HAEUBER.

surfaces the inner surface of I 

